Blasthole sloping at Inco's Birchtree Mine

Abstract
Blasthole sloping methods were introduced at Birchtree Mine as an alternative to the original cut-and-fill and shrinkage stoping methods. The object was to take advantage of the ore structure and conditions, and achieve increased productivity. This paper outlines the design, operation and economics of three areas which utilized blasthole sloping. The 108 area from 2300 level to 1500 level was converted from cut-and-fill to sub-level blasthole sloping based on a block mining-and-filling sequence. The second area, the crown pillar of 110 mechanized cut-and-fill slope below 500 level, was recovered using horizontal rings drilled from raises within the ore zone. The third area, the 83 orebodyfrom 1300 level to 1100 level, used the vertical crater retreat (VCR) method with large-diameter blastholes.Blasthole stoping has increased productivity and improved operating conditions.

The development of a new wire rope tester incorporating Hall-effect devices to detect both loss of metallic area and broken wires with one instrument in a single testing operation is described. The extensive development had as one of its main objectives the desire to simplify the interpretation of the recorded traces of rope tests so as to broaden the utilization of the instrumentation and increase its value when used in conjunction with the usual visual examinations.

SIDBEC commenced detailed planning of major capital expenditures to install integrated steelmaking facilities in 1969. Today, less than 10 years later, SIDBEC and its subsidiaries have completed major mining, concentrating, pelletizing, direct reduction - electric furnace steelmaking and continuous casting plants. The total cost of these projects was almost 1 billion dollars. The philosophy behind the project planning and the evolution of management control are explained. These extensive...

Rio Algom Limited has mined uranium at Elliot Lake, Ontario for 20 years. The production of this energy-generating element results in the need to dispose of low-level radioactive solid wastes and liquid effluents. Because of the wet-temperate climate at Elliot Lake, the liquid effluents are of particular importance. Radium-226 is the isotope which requires most attention, and the current practice for its control is by addition of barium chloride and retention of the resultant precipitates in...

The Similkameen Division of Newmont Mines Limited operates a low-grade open-pit copper mine in southern British Columbia. The copper mineralization is extremely erratic. As a result, over seven years of operation, ore control methods have evolved from standard flagging based on blast-hole assays, through an in-pit grab sampling system, to the present method of mining to computer-determined ore-waste boundaries based on geostatistics.These improved ore control methods have resulted in a gain...

The subject matter of this paper will be discussed under three main headings.1.&mdash;Fire-Resistant Fluids: (a) the need for such materials, based on historical events; (b) a definition of fire-resistant fluids; (c) general description, characteristics, operational parameters, advantages and disadvantages of oil-in-water emulsions (HFB), water-polymer fluids (HFC) and anhydrous or synthetic fluids (HFD).2.&mdash;A review of equipment associated with the use of fire-resistant hydraulic...

On January 1st, 1977, SIDBEC-NORMINES INC. purchased from Quebec Cartier Mining Company various facilities located at Gagnon and Lac Jeannine together with the Fire Lake deposit. At the same time, SIDBEC-NORMINES started its mining operations at Fire Lake, 83 km northeast of Gagnon.The paper summarizes the various adjustments which were necessary to satisfy the new production conditions, such as the physical and mechanical properties of the ore at Fire Lake, and the new crushing and loading...

Since the start-up of its first Direct Reduction Module in April 1973, SIDBEC has produced over 2 million tons of prereduced iron. During this period, SIDBEC has acquired comprehensive experience in the operation of the direct reduction process and at the same time has learned to recognize the characteristics that the oxide should have to constitute an adequate feed for the process.A comparison is made as to the design and operation of the two direct reduction units now operating at Contrecoe...

SIDBEC-NORMINES was incorporated in 1976. In addition to the production of concentrate at Lac Jeannine, near Gagnon, from ore extracted from the Fire Lake mine, its operations now include, since the end of 1977, a secondary concentrator and a pelletizing plant at Port-Cartier.The main objective of SIDBEC-NORMINES is to produce annually six million tons of iron oxide pellets, of which three million tons with a low silica content are to meet the requirements of direct reduction.SIDBEC-NORMINES'...

The continuing increase in costs for power and fuel are affecting significantly the cost of milling Canadian ores. In order to ascertain the scope and source of energy consumption in Canadian mills for further energy conservation opportunities, CANMET, in cooperation with the Canadian Mineral Processors, carried out a detailed survey on the metallic mineral processing plants. Sixty-seven mills representing almost 300 million tons of annual capacity participated in the survey. The results...

Trend surface analysis was used to investigate the geochemical dispersion patterns of Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Tiand Rb in the footwall of the Seneca massive sulphide prospect in southwestern British Columbia. Surfaces for various element ratios were also produced to see if the distributions of the elements are related to each other.Trends developed by the elements redistributed during hydrothermal alteration may be difficult to detect for various reasons, such as too few and widely...

Environmental considerations are of increasing importance in determining the acceptability, schedule and cost of expansion of Canada's uranium processing industry. Environmental considerations must be addressed in the early stages of facility planning. This results in a dilemma, as the process data needed to predict physical environmental impacts are not yet available from process design activities. Hence, a business risk is incurred if plant design is carried forward to meet these requiremen...

Discussions with people knowledgeable in the insulating material field revealed that materials on the market would be considerably improved if there was a greater meeting of certain very desirable criteria. Such criteria include: (1) the material should not burn, even at higher temperatures; (2) at an elevated temperature, the material should not give off toxic gases or produce smoke; (3) the material should have a low energy input; and (4) vermin would find the material unattractive.Theoreti...